Fully electric Hyundai Staria MPV to arrive in UK this year
Hyundai will bring its Staria MPV to the UK, but it’ll have a battery instead of an engine to take on the Kia PV5...
On sale Late 2026 Price from £50,000 (est)
Is the MPV making a comeback? Hyundai certainly seems to think so, because it’s bringing its Hyundai Staria people carrier to the UK this year – but instead of the hybrid versions available in other markets, the version we'll be able to buy here will be fully electric.
That means it’ll act as a rival to the likes of the Kia PV5 and Volkswagen ID Buzz when it arrives in UK dealers later this year.
The Staria is already available as a hybrid in other European markets, based on the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Sante Fe seven-seater. Here, though, it’ll use an 84kWh battery that powers a 215bhp front-mounted motor. That’s punchier than both versions of the Kia PV5 Passenger MPV, but the ID Buzz has more oomph, at 282bhp.
The Staria’s battery is expected to yield around 249 miles of range on a single charge. For reference, the most efficient PV5 can officially travel slightly further, at 256 miles, while the ID Buzz is even more impressive, at closer to 300 miles.
Despite being based on combustion-car underpinnings, the Staria should facilitate some pretty fast charging speeds on par with Hyundai’s latest EVs, which are all based on bespoke electric car technology. While official figures haven’t yet been revealed, Hyundai says a 10-80% top-up should take about 20 minutes. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality will also feature, meaning you’ll be able to charge up external devices with the car’s battery.
At launch in Europe, two variants will be available: the standard Luxury seven-seater and the Wagon nine-seater. UK specifications are still yet to be confirmed. It’ll also have a towing capacity of up to 2000kg – meaning the Staria will be more capable than the ID Buzz for towing.
Outside, the Staria EV is practically identical to the combustion car, aside from a slightly tweaked front end. As such, it gets the same boxy stance, wraparound LED light bar, twin sliding doors and large windows.
Inside, there will be dual 12.3in displays for digital instruments and infotainment, as in Hyundai’s other electric cars such as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. As such, it’ll come equipped with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as Hyundai’s own system which includes a built-in sat-nav and is capable of over-the-air (OTA) updates.
In other models, we find the touchscreen to be responsive and graphics sharp, but some of the icons are small and fiddly to use on the move. However, the Staria does get a number of physical buttons, as well as a driving mode selector on the steering wheel to free up space on the centre console.
The Staria will major on interior space, meaning it’ll have a number of storage cubbies throughout the interior. In the seven-seat Luxury version, it’ll have 435 litres of boot space with the third row of seats in use. That’s much more than the equivalent ID Buzz LWB, which only has 306 litres with all three rows of seats in use.
Meanwhile, the nine-seat Wagon variant will offer 1303 litres with the fourth row of seats folded down.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but we’d expect them to start at more than £50,000, which is pricier than a Kia PV5, but less than an ID Buzz.
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